Kotoko Stylized Equestrian Figure, Pierced for Suspension

A little rider clings to an antlered beast on four sturdy hooks.

This stylized equestrian figure pierced for suspension is Kotoko, from Chad, Central Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is cast bronze. Small African bronzes are usually made by the lost-wax method, in which a wax model is covered in clay, melted out, and replaced with molten metal. Figure group with a tiny rider sitting on top of a spiky, many-limbed animal with curved legs and sweeping horns. A round hole pierces the body, and the yellow-toned shows green patches in the crevices. It is 2.5 inches wide, 0.5 deep and 2 high.

The rider hangs on bravely, and the beast does the rest.